Product overview:

Textiles

Cottons are very varied. Thick hand spun yarns make earthy sculptured surfaces, but fine muslins and twill weaves don't crease or need ironing. Chiang Mai is the home of natural dyes and the alluring hue of Indigo has bewitched Europeans for centuries. It is even fabled to give protection from snakes! Hemp is a tough, textured fabric with a fall like linen. Originally woven by the hill tribes, it is the oldest known yarn in Thailand.

Whatever the material, you can further your creativity with surface design. Ikat is the art of tying the yarns into patterns before weaving. A range of exotic silk, cotton garments and art pieces using this technique can be found. From the complexity of Ikat to the fun method of Batik, where colourful, undulating lines are drawn by hand into the surface of woven fabric using wax to resist the dye.

The hill tribes make wonderful embroidery and appliqué, for a more ethnic touch. Their bold colours evolved from their need to be bright to stand out in the forest, the opposite philosophy to camouflage. But if it's a simple flower or dragon you want, try having one painted on your shoulder bag. The possibilities are endless!